Hi Steve,
Glad to hear you are OK. I'm surprised that you have
one master  switch. I have 2 separate switches L battery, R
battery or both. I  have to loose both switches for something like that
to happen.
Keep going. You are almost there.
Buly
On Dec 3, 2005, at 9:28 AM, Steve Brooks wrote:

> I made it down to South Carolina, to among other
> things, fly the Cozy.  It had been 2 months to the
day
> since I had been down, so the remaining 8 hours of
the
> 40 test hours have been slow to come off.
>
> On Thursday I washed about 30 lbs of dust off of
the
> plane (open T hanger) and checked everything out. I
> did a high speed run down the runway, but didn't
have
> time to get in a flight.
>
> Yesterday I went to the airport after it warmed up
a
> few degrees, and took off.  The engine was running
> very strong in the cooler air (54 degrees).  I had
> planned to do about a 30 minute flight ad land,
just
> to check everything out, and was was doing turns
and
> just cruising around about 6-7 miles from the
airport
> at about 2900 MSL (2300 AGL).  While flying
straight
> and level, I felt a sudden miss in engine.  When I
> check the I/P, I also noticed that the digital
gauges,
> fuel and oil, had rebooted.  I immediately started
a
> turn toward the airport.
>
> About 15 seconds later, I lost total electric. The
> I/P went dead, and so did the engine.  This isn't
> good, I thought.  Actually, it was more like, OH
SH**.
>  I took a look at the airport, and I was too far
to
> make it there, so I looked around, and a 4 lane
> highway, which has light traffic appeared to be my
> best option.  I had just started turning toward
that
> highway, when the electric power came back, and
the
> engine picked back up.
>
> I immediately started a climb, and headed toward
the
> airport again.  I already knew that there was a
plane
> in the pattern doing touch and goes (unicom
field), so
> I called the airport and advised the other
aircraft
> that I had a serious issue, and needed to make a
> straight in landing.
>
> It didn't lose power again, on the trip back to
the
> airport, but that 6-7 miles seemed to take
forever.  I
> stayed on the high side on altitude, for obvious
> reasons, and then had to bleed altitude (and
speed)
> while on short final.  I came in a little fast,
and
> touched down earlier than normal, but still was on
the
> ground, and very happy.
>
> Since I have two separate electrical systems
(engine
> and everything else), I was really stunned that I
lost
> both like that.  After thinking about it for I
while,
> I figured out that the master switch was the only
> common link.  I pulled the I/P cover off, and
found
> that the ground connector was pulled off of the
> terminal and just sitting there barely touching
the
> contact.
> The cause of this was the fact that when I did an
> annual on the plane in May, I had added some
addition
> ty-raps to dress up the wiring a little more.  In
> doing so, I had stretched the ground wire which
runs
> to the master switch, which energizes the two
master
> relays.
>
> It was an easy fix, but now I have to replenish
the
> adrenalin supply, and figure out how to get the
ridge
> out of the seat cushion.
>
> After some ground testing, I made another flight
> (circling the airport) and everything checked out
OK.
>
>
> I have an emergency bypass switch that will supply
> power to the engine systems from either the
forward or
> aft battery.  I didn't think to switch it over,
but I
> really didn't get to the point of doing any
trouble
> shooting, so I'm not sure if I would have thought
of
> that option or not.  It was without power for only
> about 20 seconds, but it seemed much longer.  I
will
> definitely remember the emergency power switch,
should
> I every have an issue like that again, but I hope
that
> never happens.
>
> This isn't nearly as harrowing as some of the
> experiences that Ed or John have had, but it was
> plenty for me.  I don't want any more glider time.
>
> Steve Brooks
> Cozy MKIV
> Turbo rotary
>
>
> --
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